The most beautiful natural sites to discover Tōkyo & Area

The five lakes are located on the north slope of Fuji-san. The region, very forested, is particularly beautiful in the autumn. Throughout the year, the five lakes accumulate tourist potential: fishing on line or in ice (wakasagi), skating, canoeing, etc. Those who would like to hike will be able to take a card with tourist information offices.

The five lakes (Stayokay, Kawaguchi, Sai, Shoji and Motosu) each have their own charm and vie for their view on Fuji-san. For this, the most famous is Kawaguchi lake.

Yet many Japanese agree that the most beautiful lakes are small, including Lake Shōji. The ténébreuse beauty of its waters gives it a poetic atmosphere. Motosu Lake is the only one not to freeze in winter because of the depth of its waters. It is appreciated des in summer. It is also possible to visit caves of volcanic origin (Narusawa and Fugaku), northwest of Sai-Ko Lake. D'Eboshi-san (a good hour and a half walk from the road), a beautiful sea view of the Tree of Fuji (Aokigahara-jukai) is available to all those who come to this point.

Here is a real complex with whirlpool baths, waterfalls… A free shuttle service allows you to get there from the bridge, one minute from the station.

This park is located within walking distance of the funicular that leads to Mount Sōunzan. There is a rather curious mixture of alpine and tropical plants.

East of Lake Ashi(Ashino-ko), Mount Komagatake (1354 m) is an excellent viewpoint to observe both Mount Fuji and Ashino-ko. To get to the top, you have to take a boat from Tōgendai to Hakone-en, then a cable car. Between Mount Komagatake and Mount Kami Futayo, Buddhas are carved in relief in the rock. They date back to the Kamakura period (1192-1333). On one side, one can see the Nijūgo bosatsu, a rock carved with a multitude of Buddhas, and on the other appears the Moto-hakone Jizō, which protects pilgrims and travelers.

This small spa is located at the eastern end of Lake Ashi. There are a few cafes and restaurants where you can refresh yourself and enjoy the view while watching the boats passing by. Although the city has been a religious and administrative center for a long time, it is now a tourist stop. From there, one can walk to the Hakone Shrine, walk around the lake and under the old cedar trees alley to the checkpoint, or go on board the famous pirate boats which connect Moto-Hakone to Owakudani.

In particular, we can see the fighting of buffalo.

Miharashi-no-yu Hot Spring is located on the ocean shore. It has a large indoor hot spring pool and an island-shaped outdoor bath. The spring water is greenish-grey and a bit muddy, but don't let that put you off. The outdoor bath has a changing schedule for men and women, so ask ahead of time. For the show, come after sunset to admire the sky, without any light pollution.

Urami-ga-taki onsen is located in a forest near a waterfall. This onsen is mixed, but it's wearing a bathing suit. Getting there is a bit complicated, but it's worth a detour.

It is possible to attempt the ascent of Mount Fuji, with proper equipment and information. From the base of the volcano to the top of the mountain, the route is marked by ten stages(gō). Most climbers use the route that takes them directly to the fourth or even fifth stage. The ascent from the fifth stage takes between 4 or 5 hours and the descent between 2 or 3 hours. Once at the top, a trip around the crater (1 hour) is to be expected. Many people climb Japan's sacred mountain in the hope of seeing the cloudless goraikō (sunrise). To get there, climbers will have a choice of six marked trails.

On the northern flank, the Kawaguchiko stage, which stands at 2,305 meters, which is reached by starting from the town of Kawaguchi. This stage is especially appreciated by climbers coming from Tokyo.

Still on the northern flank, the Yoshida trail starts lower at Fuji-Yoshida. It is on this trail that the Sengen-Jinja Shrine is located. The road up to the shrine is lined with inns set back about 50 meters from the road. Each of these inns has a garden with small waterfalls from the mountain. It is also possible to go to the shrine by bus from Fuji-Yoshida Station to Sengen-jinja-mae stop (5 minutes) or by foot from the station (15 minutes). It is best to ask for a map at the Fuji-Yoshida tourist information office.

The Subashiri trail is at 1,980 meters and crosses the Yoshida trail after the eighth station. From Subashiri, buses lead to the fifth stop.

The Gotemba Trail, which starts from Gotemba and whose fifth station is at 1,440 meters, offers one of the longest routes because the station is the lowest. Buses lead to the fifth station.

Fujinomiya Trail, which starts from Fujiyomiya and with its fifth station at 2,380 meters, is mostly suitable for climbers from Nagoya and Kansai.

The Shōji trail, starts from Akaike, on the shores of Lake Shōji, in the northwest. It is 12.5 km long and crosses the Aokigahara forest, passes near the Omurosan in a lava tunnel called Fuji fuketsu. The crater of Mount Fuji, the Nai in, has a circular shape of 600 meters in diameter and a depth of about 100 meters. On the crest, there are eight peaks: Mishima dake, Komaga dake, Joju dake, Izu dake, Dainichi dake, Kusushi dake, Hakusan dake and finally Kenga mine. Two tracks allow to make the tour of the crater.

52 storey building with the centre of Design Ozone, on the 2nd floor and the Park Hyatt on the last twelve floors.

This park is famous for its wisteria that fill in spring and summer, its plum trees and beautiful bambouseraies.

There is a rather curious mixture of alpine and tropical plants.

In the concrete forest that is Tokyo, we sometimes forget that we are on an island. The small beach of Odaiba reminds us of the wide expanses of sand, ice, games on the beach in summer. In the evening, it's a great place to admire the view of Tokyo and the Rainbow Bridge. This bridge, completed in 1993, is 798 meters long and crosses the north side of Tokyo Bay. Its structure illuminated with red, green and blue at night has become representative of contemporary Tokyo.